Testify at the Capitol
Be an Active Participant in the Legislative Process
Providing verbal, in-person testimony at the Texas Capitol is one of the most effective ways to participate in and influence the legislative process. We’ve created this guide for people who want their voices heard.
Be an Active Participant in the Legislative Process
Providing verbal, in-person testimony at the Texas Capitol is one of the most effective ways to participate in and influence the legislative process. We’ve created this guide for people who want their voices heard.
Testimony Preparation
Before you visit the Capitol, it’s important to understand how the process works so you can prepare ahead of time and know what to expect.
How the Committee Process Works
A key phase of the life-cycle of a bill is the committee process. Once a bill is filed by an author, it is assigned to a committee relevant to the nature of the bill. During open committee hearings, the general public and subject matter experts are invited to share their perspectives to help legislators understand the impact a bill could have on the lives of Texans. That’s where you come in!
Providing In-Person Testimony
On the day of the hearing, the committee chair goes through the agenda bill by bill. After a bill is called, the bill’s author will “lay out” the bill—essentially, explaining the contents of the bill and why they filed it. Then, the chair will call the names of people who have registered to testify.
When your name is called, you will go up to the committee panel or podium, state your name, who you represent, your position on the bill, and then provide your testimony.
Preparing Your Testimony
The first thing to know is that there are time limits to each testimony. The chair will cut you off once your time has passed. Time limitations can vary depending on the committee chair, as well as how many other witnesses have signed up to provide testimonies that day.
Our rule of thumb: prepare your testimony such that you can read it out loud in two minutes or less. If you have more to say than what you can fit in two minutes, you can prepare two versions of your testimony: one oral, one written. The written testimony can be submitted to the committee and be as long as you like (just be sure to print at least 20 copies to hand over to the committee). The oral version of your testimony will be subject to time limitations.
As you consider what to say in your testimony, here are some additional tips on how to prepare:
- Write it down. Having a script is highly recommended, as it helps you navigate everything you want to say and how long it takes to say it.
- Talk about how the bill would impact your life. Draw on real, personal examples.
- Be concise. Remember, you may be subject to time limitations.
- Be respectful. While you want to come across as passionate, be sure to avoid using combative language or tactics.
- Use data and evidence to support your position when possible. Providing hard facts makes it difficult for anyone to argue.
- Print 20 copies of your testimony to submit to the committee the day of the hearing, along with 20 copies of any supplemental documents your testimony may refer to, like any data, charts, or studies.
- Be your authentic self. Remember you are there to provide a unique perspective to the creation of policies that could affect people’s lives. You are making a valuable contribution to the legislative process. Do not let other witnesses, or committee members for that matter, intimidate you. The committee process exists because legislators need to hear from people like you.
Day of Your Testimony
Where and When to Arrive
Usually a committee will announce when they plan to hear a particular bill at least 48 hours in advance. These hearings can start as early as 8:00 AM or as late as 5:30 PM. You can check when and where your bill has been scheduled for a hearing on the Texas Legislature Online website by entering your bill number in the top right search bar. Once you’re on the bill page, look for its assigned House or Senate committee roughly halfway down the page and click the hyperlink. This will take you to the public notice for the hearing in which your bill will be heard with the time and room number.
A note about timing:
Many hearings start “upon adjournment” of the House or Senate, which means that they will not hear the bill until they are finished with their floor calendar for that day. Every circumstance will be different, but it is helpful to note that in the first half of the Session (January—March) the floor calendar is likely to end on the earlier side (as early as 10:30 AM) and in the second half of the Session (April—May), hearings are likely to begin later (around 2 PM and later into the evening).
Keep in mind, each committee creates its own rules and processes for hearing testimony. When in doubt, contact us and we will do everything possible to advise you on when and where a bill will be heard by a particular committee.
First: Register to Testify
In order to orally share your testimony, you must first register to testify as a witness. You may register as early as 10:30 AM the day a bill is scheduled to be heard by the assigned committee. You can register at a kiosk/iPad, which are usually located in the hallway between the main concourse and legislator offices in the Capitol Extension (the E Floors). You may even register from your laptop or phone if you are connected to the Public-Capitol WiFi network.
Once you are on the registration welcome screen, select the committee your bill has been assigned to, then select your bill from the list of bills they are hearing that day. You will then enter your position (For/Against) and whether or not you wish to testify. On the next few screens, you will enter your name, job title, and address, as well as designate whether you are testifying on behalf of yourself or a business. You will review all of your information, submit, and then receive a confirmation message.
In rare cases, particularly if your bill is assigned to the Senate State Affairs committee, you will not able to digitally register for your hearing. In those cases, you may have to manually register by filling out a physical card in the committee room your hearing has been assigned to.
Sit, Wait, and Be Ready at a Moments Notice
Each committee makes its own rules about the order in which bills will be heard. Sometimes bills will be called according to seniority of their authors, other times it’s “first come, first served.” Often, bills with a lot of registered witnesses will be held last.
If You Must Leave Before You Are Called
Testifying can require a substantial investment of your time. Not everyone will have the ability to stay at the Capitol until their name is called. We all have jobs, kids, pets, or other life commitments we must tend to.
You can always submit your written testimony to the committee clerk. Written testimony will still be considered by the committee and is usually read later by their office staff.
If you don’t have time for verbal or written testimony, remember you can always simply state your position on a bill by “dropping a card,” at a kiosk on the day of the committee hearing.
There are many other ways you can make an impact during a legislative session. Sign up for updates from Equality Texas. We’ll let you know which bills need your attention, what they mean for the LGBTQIA+ community, and the best ways to get involved.
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Other Testimony Tips, Important Information, and FAQs
What should I bring with me?
- If you have any documents to share with the committee (your written testimony, data, reports, etc), you will need 20 copies of each to give to the committee clerk.
- Bring chargers for any of your electronics. We also recommend you bring your electronic devices fully charged.
- Bring water bottles, refreshments and/or snacks. Remember, you don’t know how long you may have to wait, so bring things to stay nourished and hydrated. There is a cafeteria at the Capitol open from 8pm–5pm. After it is closed, you will be on your own for food.
- Bring something to do while waiting to testify. Remember, there is public WiFi at the Capitol so you can get some work done, or Netflix and binge.
Where do I park?
Parking can be found in the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage on 1201 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701
Is there a dress code?
There is no formal dress code at the Capitol. Legislators and legislative staff generally wear business attire, so it always helps to look professional.